What is Rye Bay?
Rye Bay covers an area of 91 square kilometres in eastern East Sussex. It follows the valleys of the Rother, Tillingham and Brede rivers from the Cinque Port towns of Rye and Winchelsea to the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
To the west of the bay is the historic coastal town of Hastings and Fairlight cliffs. To the east is the Romney Marshes Natural Area, and the world famous Dungeness shingle spit.
Rye Bay has a wealth of wildlife and points of historical interest, including the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Many areas of Rye Bay have been awarded regional, national and international designations eg Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to help protect and conserve them.
A wildlife project called 'Two Bays' aims to study and enhance the habitats and species both in the Rye Bay area and across the Channel in the Baie de Somme, Picardy, France.
